You have probably heard of Google. You may even have used Google for an Internet search, since it is a very popular search tool. It’s so popular, in fact that the word Google has started to be used as a verb. To google something means to look it up on Google. And googling is so widespread that the Google Web site is visited more than 150 million times a day.
Yet, searching for words and phrases is just one of the services that Google offers. Here are a few others:
Google Toolbar
If you use Internet Explorer, you can download the Google toolbar quickly and easily. It is a tool that I use everyday. Once installed, it appears at the top of the screen as an Internet Explorer toolbar. The most useful part of the Google toolbar is that you can perform an Internet search without clicking over to a search page. Just enter your search terms in the toolbar to start your search. You can also use the toolbar to search individual Web sites, another very valuable tool. When the results are given, you will see the search terms that you entered highlighted in yellow so you can easily find the information you are looking for. Visit the Google Toolbar page to download this feature-laden toolbar.
Google Catalogs
This database of mail-order catalogs is immense in size. I was hard-pressed to think of a catalog that wasn’t represented. Google Catalogs give not only the full color catalogs, but also provide a link to the vendor’s Web site and the vendor’s telephone number.
Google Image Search
Normally you just search for text, but if you want to find a picture of a tomato, a computer, or an elephant. Google has you covered. Just surf over to Google Image Search. You are sure to find a picture or two since Google has a database of more than 39 million images.
Google News
This is another Google service that I use everyday. If you are a newshound, you’ll love it. Google News automatically gathers up-to-the-minute news stories from 4,500 online sources. It is continuously updated. You can search Google News for any topic or just browse through the latest news.
Google Groups
Google Groups is a Usenet database of discussion groups dating back to 1981. These discussions can offer a wealth of information on just about any subject. They are especially focused on computers and technology, but cover many other topics including politics, fine art, games, philosophy, and much more. You can post your own comments and questions and/or read over 700 million posts of others.
Froogle
Google also offers information about products for sale online. If you are having trouble finding a specific item for sale, try Froogle. Froogle only indexes items for sale on the Web, and does not recommend them or make a profit from the sale.
Google Translation Tool
Ever find a Web page that is written in German, French, Italian, Portuguese, or Spanish. The Google Translate Tool can translate it into English for you. Or it can translate it from English into any of these languages. There is even an area where you can enter a block of text for translation. You may not use this tool everyday, but when you need translation, it’s invaluable.
Google Labs
Google Labs is Google’s technology playground. It is full of ideas and tests that the Google experts are investigating. The content changes often and many of the tests are prototypes and may not quite be ready for prime time. It is, however, a fascinating area. When I visited recently there was a Google Glossary, Google Webquotes, and even a Google voice Search where you can search Google by voice with a telephone call. To watch technologies being developed, Google Labs is a great place to visit.
More
Believe it or not, there is even more to investigate at Google. Check out the Google Web Directory for especially hard to find information, Google Special Searches for specific databases like Microsoft, the U.S. Government, Apple, and Linux. Go to Google Wireless for a Web search designed for cell phones and PDAs. Use the Google University Search for an alphabetical directory of colleges and universities and simple searching for specific types of information like course schedules, admission information, or alumni news.
Any of these many Google tools can be accessed from the Google Main Page by clicking on “Services & Tools”. Google itself is a great tool. When you visit be sure to investigate some of these additional useful features. You’ll be glad you did!
